From: din@gradient.cis.upenn.edu (Clarence Din) Newsgroups: rec.games.video Subject: TG-16 REVIEWS LIST Message-ID: <105030@netnews.upenn.edu> Date: 15 Jan 93 16:42:02 GMT Organization: University of Pennsylvania Lines: 1423 **************************************************************************** ** Introducing: THE LIST! ** ** ** ** Turbografx-16, TurboDuo, and PC-Engine News and Reviews ** ** 90 *BIG* Reviews!!! ** ** by ** ** Clarence K. Din, aka The TurboKid ** **************************************************************************** Edition 01.11.93 NOTE: All reviews written by TurboKid unless otherwise noted. In some reviews, "Ed." stands for "Editor." That's me again! New Games Reviewed in Recent Editions of the Review List: -------------------------------------------------------- Air Zonk - need I say more? Browning - excellent graphics, but horrible gameplay... see review! New Adventure Island - save your family from an evil being! Soldier Blade - fast and furious vertical shooter SportsTalk Hockey - great fun for one to five people! Time Cruise - fast and furious video pinball action The TurboKid Rating System: -------------------------- I use a rather unconventional grading system for rating games: A++ to F (4.6 to 0.0). Basically, a game will earn a C if it conforms to the minimal standards as to what a game should look, sound, and play like on a particular system. A game like Super Mario Bros. on a Nintendo and Sonic the Hedgehog on a Genesis would both receive A's, even though there are striking differences in graphics, sound, and playability between the two. Likewise, a game which does not use the hardware to its present (known) maximum potential will receive a mediocre grade. Slowdown or flickering, for example, would lower a game's graphics score considerably as well as lower playability. Basically, most games will get a B or B+. You think this is high? Well, if I really didn't think much of my system, I would've traded it in or sold it long ago. In the same light, most Genesis and Nintendo owners would probably give most of their games good reviews, too. I base most of my purchasing decisions by watching store demos of games or, as a last resort, studying the graphics screens on the backs of boxes. If I saw a lemon, I wouldn't buy it! That's why most of the games in this list can be called "winners." An occasional lemon may slip in, but that's usually because of too much reliance on slick packaging. Not everyone may share my opinions or tastes in games. I like shooters more than Mario-type games, but if a certain Mario-type game has a twist in it, like Bonk with its spin attack, I may find it interesting, play it, and give it a good review. However, if you think that some of my reviews don't give certain games enough credit, tell me. I'll be happy to study the game in question more closely. Some games have hidden surprises, secret levels, and the like, which increase a game's value. I may have missed some of these surprises, so tell me if you find any of them and I'll pass them along to other fellow gamers! Anyway, my OVERALL scoring formula is simple: Add up all values, taking LONGEVITY into account twice, and get an average. An 'A' would be a 4.0, an 'A-' a 3.7, a 'B+' a 3.3, etc. LONGEVITY is how long the game will maintain your interest (ie. will you want to play a game again and again or will you play it once and be disgusted with it?). For most gamers, LONGEVITY is more important than graphics or sound effects. Some of the best games have really bad graphics (eg. Tetris). If you would like to add to a review or possibly change a rating, please send me mail (din@gradient.cis.upenn.edu) and I'll take your comments into account! Thanks! The Rank Order Scale -------------------- Periodically, I will be posting a listing of all of the games reviewed in my list in rank order, from highest overall rating to lowest. This list may be used as a basis for purchasing decisions. The real value of it lies in the fact that you can easily see if one game is exceptionally superior to another. Of course, different people have different opinions. That's why I have stated in the list that a difference of 0.1 between two games is usually not significant, that is, game X with a 3.4 and game Y with a 3.5 are about the same overall (if comparing shooters to shooters; you shouldn't compare a 3.5 RPG with a 3.5 shooter!). Do You Have Reviews? ------------------- Certainly, one man's opinion is not enough to base your decision to rent or purchase a game. If you have had any experience with a certain game and would like to share your experiences with other fellow Turbografx-16 owners, please send your reviews my way. I will take all of your comments into account and adjust my grades accordingly based on their soundness and wisdom. Credit will be given to the original reviewer. Please use the review format presented below and send them to din@gradient.cis.upenn.edu. Thanks! Please, please, PLEASE follow the format of the reviews for everyone's sake! The idea is to give other gamers the most clear and concise information possible! TurboKid's Board of Reviewers ----------------------------- The following people were integral or most helpful in my assembling these reviews for all you TurboDuo, Turbografx-16, and PC-Engine gamers. Thank you all! Bryan Duvan, Chris Fleming, Tin Yau Fung, Jeff Graham, Brad Hamlett, Pete Ikusz, Kevin Kramer, Jeffrey Naiman, Sergey Shimkevich, James Stepanek, Laly Thao ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Format of Reviews ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- (game title) (format: CD-ROM, SCD-ROM, Hu-Card) Review by (your name). ------------ short, concise, encapsulated review or preview (Please make sure the following are in upper-case in your reviews!!!) GRAPHICS : (A++ to F rating with optional comments in parentheses) SOUND : MUSIC : GAMEPLAY : LONGEVITY: PLAYERS : 1 IMPROVEMENTS: (this is optional) OVERALL : (convert your letter grades to a 4.6 to 0.0 scale (A++ to F) and add them all up counting the longevity score twice... divide the sum by 6 to get the overall score) COMMENTS : (or end comments... this is optional) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- # The Addams' Family (CD-ROM) Review by Bryan Duvan and TurboKid. ------------------ Wander around the Addams' family house searching for the Addams' money vault all the while battling the Addams' family members. GRAPHICS : A- (Game is cartoon-like. Characters are a little too blocky and two-dimensional) SOUND : A (Excellent... this game uses the CD technology wisely) MUSIC : A (Addams' theme at the start of the game... nice!) GAMEPLAY : B (Even with a joystick, you'll need to get the hang of jumping over obstacles) LONGEVITY: B- (Frustrating... no save feature!) PLAYERS : 1 IMPROVEMENTS: This game needs some serious fixes in gameplay mechanics. OVERALL : 3.34 COMMENTS : This game really needs a save feature because you die too easily. "Am I the only one who thinks this game is a waste?" - Ed. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- # Aeroblaster (Hu-Card) Review by Bryan Duvan. ----------- Also known as Air Buster (Genesis). This is a side-scrolling shooter game which I truly like because of the simultaneously two player gameplay. GRAPHICS : A (Very nice... especially in the later stages) SOUND : B (Could be better) MUSIC : B (Very nice... above average) GAMEPLAY : A (Needs a joystick) LONGEVITY: B (Grade A if play with two players. Keeps you coming back for more) PLAYERS : 1 or 2 IMPROVEMENTS: The smart bomb has to go... it takes too long to power-up! OVERALL : 3.40 COMMENTS : Grab your buddy and play this baby. Guaranteed to make your fingers go numb. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- # Aim For The Top! GunBuster, Volume 1 (SCD-ROM) Review by Sergey Shimkevich. ------------------------------------ Top o Nerae! GunBuster is a game that is very similar in concept to Sherlock Holmes and Murder Club - it is basically a board game where you are presented with a situation and have to pick out a correct action to progress further. It is based on a very popular 6-part OVA (Original Video Animation) of the same title (recently released in the US with subtitles). The game is based on the first two parts of the series. The storyline in the game is the same as in the video. Noriko Takaya is a student at Okinawa Space High School for girls where combat pilots are being trained. Rather unsure of herself, she also has to carry on the legacy of her late father, Admiral Takaya who was killed in a space battle with the aliens. In the first part of the game, the goal is to survive the tribulations of high school (self-doubt, sibling rivalry) and to get assigned to the new battleship, Exelion. In the second part there are more obstacles to overcome, including a terrifying ghost from the past. The gameplay is very simple. After the opening intro (accompanied by a short version of "Fly High"), you see the options screen (looks exactly like the screen in Science Lessons) where the super-deformed Noriko and Kazumi tell you about the options. You can then start a new game, continue a saved one, go to a sound test mode or hear the background info on the three main characters. If you choose to do so, a super-deformed Coach Ohta will tell you about this option and then proceed to introduce the character that you've selected. After that, the character will introduce herself. You'll also see such vital statistics as birthdate, height and blood type displayed (turns out that Noriko is 0, Jung-Freud is AB and I forgot about Kazumi). When you select a new game or continue, you then get to a main screen where all action takes place. There is a display, about 1/4 of the screen where the action takes place, two windows where the commands are displaced and a Stress Meter. When you make the wrong decision, the Stress Meter goes up. When it is full, the game is OVER!!! You see a short animated sequence (the closest to full-motion animation that I've seen on the Turbo/PC Engine) and then you have to make a choice. If you make the wrong choice, you see the often hilarious results (for example when Jung-Freud is introduced to Noriko and Kazumi, one of the wrong responses is to "take a look at Jung's, er, bosom", also some wrong responses can get you slapped by Kazumi - OUCH!), your Stress Meter goes up and you have to make another choice. When you make the right choice, the story continues. At some point you'll be allowed to save your game and continue. You can also save the game at the end to have access to endgame options that include a command that replays the game automatically from the beginning to the end and a short comedy routine by Noriko, Kazumi and Jung-Freud. Also, when you put a regular system card instead of a Super System card, the results are absolutely hilarious. You see a parody of a Science Lesson where Kazumi asks Noriko questions about the PC Engine (no, the Coach doesn't show up at the end, too bad). GRAPHICS : A- (Unfortunately PC Engine/Turbo shows its limitations) SOUND : A+ (It's all speech) MUSIC : A+ (Two songs from the OVA!!!) GAMEPLAY : A+ (Lots of fun - if you like the show) LONGEVITY: A+ (You'll want to play it again, just to see the often hilarious results of incorrect responses) PLAYERS : 1 OVERALL : 4.20 COMMENTS : If you liked GunBuster and have a Turbo/PC Engine, you'll most probably love this game. On the other hand, if you do not know the story beforehand and/or do not speak/read Japanese, this game will not be much fun. Even though it is fairly easy to get through by the trial and error method, the story wouldn't make much sense. A bit on the negative side: unfortunately the PC Engine/Turbo hardware shows its limitations. The animation is still jerky and it is only in 1/4 of the screen (just like in Sherlock Holmes). Still, it is a very nice game and I enjoyed it a lot. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- # Air Zonk (Hu-Card) -------- Zonk gives new meaning to the term "Cyberpunk" as he flies through 5 stages of super-fast horizontally scrolling shooting action. The parallax scrolling is fantastic and there is enough variety in the powerups to keep your interest. One unique feature about this game is your ability to pick up a "satellite" shooter and merge with it. GRAPHICS : A+ (much improved over the original Bonk series and with more detailed graphics and use of colors... you will recognize many of the same characters here as in the original Bonk adventures and the way the game designers updated them to a more futuristic level is awesome) SOUND : A (nice explosions and shooting sounds) MUSIC : A- (cool music... not annoying) GAMEPLAY : B+ (as with all shooters, this game would be much better with a joystick) LONGEVITY: B+ (there are 3 modes of play with 1, 3, or 5 lives... level 4 is an interesting horizontal, then vertical scrolling stage... you'll want to play again to find out what some of the other powerups do or try to beat the game with 1 life!) PLAYERS : 1 IMPROVEMENTS: There are only 5 levels in this game. They're all challenging, but the game is a bit too short! OVERALL : 3.65 COMMENTS : The scrolling is fast, flicker-free, and even Sega shooter fans who have "seen it all" will be impressed by the graphics in this cart. There was a lot of advance notice (hype) surrounding this game. It was well worth the wait. While it is no Gates of Thunder, Air Zonk is a cool shooter in its own right and is now the "official" mascot of Turbo Technologies. Move over, Sonic! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- # Andre Panza Kick Boxing (Hu-Card) ----------------------- Almost all the sights, sounds, and realism of professional kickboxing. GRAPHICS : A+ (The boxers are surprisingly detailed and realistic, but the characters are two-dimensional, reminiscent of earlier sports games for other systems) SOUND : A (Realistic hits, grunts, and digitized referee voice) MUSIC : B (Only a title screen tune) GAMEPLAY : A (This game plays better with a Turbopad than a joystick, especially when you have to make a diagonal move. The feel is still a little sticky in the beginning, though, especially since your boxer is pretty cruddy at first) LONGEVITY: B+ (If your reflexes are pretty good, you can probably beat Andre Panza, the top guy, in one long night of playing. All you have to do is stay in the gym and build up your abilities. The game is good for relieving frustrations) PLAYERS : 1 or 2 IMPROVEMENTS: Make the referee say more than just "1, 2, Go!" Make the game three-dimensional! OVERALL : 3.48 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- # Ballistix (Hu-Card) Review by Jeff Graham. --------- For those of you who haven't played the game, a little background info is needed. You play a gunner firing little balls at a target ball trying to get the ball to the goal on the other side of the field. Sounds easy, right? Wrong!! It's not that easy to direct the ball once it starts moving, and it does move fast at times (I've not been able to follow it at times). Also, various power-ups and obstacles are on the playfield causing havoc: all firin